Interview: Lauren McKnight

Interview: Lauren McKnight

By our guest blogger, Joel Crabtree

When your father’s a notorious serial killer of teenagers at the local roller rink, maybe it’s time to look toward the other side of the family tree.

In “My Super Psycho Sweet 16: 2,” that’s just what Skye Rotter does after her dad, Charlie Rotter, wracked up a massive body count in the first “Super Psycho.” Skye, played by Lauren McKnight, searches for her mother, and finds her mother happily married in a small town with a daughter, Alex (Kristen Prout), about Skye’s age.

Could this be the comfortable life that Skye has been searching for her whole life? Hardly. Of course, Skye comes with some baggage, both of the mental and killer father variety, as Charlie follows his daughter to her new home.

WeekinRewind.com had the chance to catch up with Lauren McKnight about “Super Psycho 2,” discuss some of her personal favorite horror movies and relive some of her best and worst Halloween memories.

Joel Crabtree: In what ways do you think your character, Skye Rotter, has changed since the first film?

Lauren McKnight: I feel like in the first film that Skye was your typical, insecure, sweet little teenager. But in the sequel, I feel like she’s really hardened and tough, and that she has a lot more pent-up aggression than in the first one. I think a little bit more of her father comes out in the second one.

JC: I feel like with Sky Rotter you’ve created a strong, but complex kind of female-antihero. I was wondering if you modeled her after anyone in particular?

LM: No, not really. Honestly, she’s so much like myself -- and, yes, I do get that angry (laughs). Not that angry that I kill people. I didn’t model her after anyone in particular--I just kind of developed with the character, I guess.

JC: How was the experience of filming the sequel different from the original?

LM: The sequel was fun because it was a lot of the same people that I had worked with for the first one. Same director, same producers, a lot of the same cast. And that was fun, being able to come back to a familiar set with familiar people.  It made a lot of things easier.

JC: The series is heavily influenced by the slasher genre, and I was curious if there’s a particular movie or series that might be a favorite of yours and that you kind of rely on when you’re studying?

LM: Well, I do have a couple of favorite horror movies, but I wouldn’t really recommend them to any actors for studying. I love the movie “Creepshow.” “Creepshow 1” and “Creepshow 2.”  Awesome. “Basketcase” is one of my favorites, just because it’s horrendous. I’m a big fan of “Nightmare of Elm Street.” Those are some of my personal favorites.

JC: Were you a fan of horror movies before you started the series?

LM: Horror movies I can handle a lot better than psychological thrillers. I like mindless bloodbaths--I think they’re funny.

JC: Do you think there’s room for a third “Super Psycho Sweet 16”?

LM: I think there might be. We all have to wait and see how this weekend pans out. But I really think it might happen. So, just make sure you tell people to tune in Friday and watch it, and we’ll probably make a third one.

JC: So, seeing how this is a horror movie airing around Halloween, I just have to ask you a couple of questions about Halloween. Do you have a worst Halloween memory?

LM: Man, I don’t know. I just remember the most traumatizing experiences when I was a little kid was looking up every morning after Halloween and my pumpkin would always be smashed. Every time. That sucks. For the most part, my Halloweens were pretty good, though.

JC: Yeah? Do you have a best Halloween memory?

LM: Yes! When I was 4 years old, I was Beetlejuice for Halloween. My mom made my costume and everything. That was fun. Another Halloween, when I was about 10 years old, my friends and I went out in one costume and went trick-or-treating, and then went back to my house, changed into another costume, and went back out again. That was fun. I got really sick about a week later, though.

JC: Speaking of getting sick around Halloween, do you have a favorite Halloween candy?

LM: (Laughs) I don’t know, pretty much any kind of fun-sized candy bar--because they’re fun-sized.

"My Super Psycho Sweet 16: 2” airs at 9 p.m. EST Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 on MTV. Watch the trailer below.